


Kai's Luck

by trepkos



Category: Arthur of the Britons
Genre: Gambling, M/M, Sappy, Superstition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2017-11-23 03:16:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trepkos/pseuds/trepkos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kai's bad luck is legendary.  Arthur does something about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kai's Luck

Kai beams, flushed with success. This is the best night’s gambling he’s ever had. He has a pile of bronze and silver stacked in front of him: enough to buy himself a new horse, a new axe, and any woman within a day’s ride, if that was what he wanted.

But it’s not.

Arthur, sitting across the room, watches his exploits with quiet confidence. 

“It’s those new dice of yours,” Conyn complains. He’s lost the most tonight. “They must be loaded!” 

“Loaded when I cast them, but not when you do?” Kai snorts. “Fine – we’ll use yours then!”

Kai will admit – just to himself – a sneaking suspicion might have crossed his mind, that Arthur’s yuletide gift of two new dice has _something_ to do with his unlikely winning streak. But though they play with Conyn’s set of dice for the next hour, it makes no difference. Kai can’t seem to lose.

After midnight, Arthur gets up, gives Kai a last self-satisfied glance, and disappears off to bed, leaving him to it.

The sun is peeking over the horizon by the time Kai plonks two jingling bags of coins – his winnings – by the bed, crawls in next to Arthur, and pokes his drowsy leader in the side. 

“How did you do that?”

Arthur opens innocent blue eyes. “Do what?”

“You know what! That run of luck I just had – it was more than natural.”

Arthur sits up, stretching. “Well, you’ve said yourself, often enough, it’s time you had a few wins.”

“Come on, Arthur! I know that look.”

“What look?”

“The look that says you know more than anyone else.” He edges towards Arthur, and sets about tickling his ribs. “Come on … tell Uncle Kai what you did!”

“Ow! Get off!” Arthur shuffles away across the bed. “Some of us are still half-asleep.” 

“Tell me!” 

“Alright! Though I’m not sure –”

“Tell!”

“Well …” Arthur stifles a yawn. “You know how legendary your bad luck has become …”

“Could I forget?” 

“Well, I happened to mention it to the Wood People’s Elder. And she was of the opinion that someone might have laid a curse upon you.”

Kai cocks his head. “Who would want to curse _me?_ ”

Arthur laughs. 

Kai frowns. “No … really.”

“Let me see ...” Upon his fingers, Arthur counts off Kai’s potential foes. “Mark of Cornwall, King Athel, anyone who’s had less luck that you with women … anyone you’ve bested in a fight … anyone envious of your position in this village … anyone with a grudge against you for being a Saxon … any girl who wanted more from you than you were prepared to give her … shall I go on?”

“There’s more?” Kai glances nervously around.

“I’m just getting started.” Arthur smirks. “And I’m already running out of fingers.” 

“Oh.” Kai makes a sad face. “So, what did you do?”

“The Elder said she knew of a man descended from the Druids, who might lift just such a curse. And she took me to see him.”

“But … a Druid? Did that not offend against your beliefs?”

Arthur puts on his best debating face. “Such curses come from different roots than the teachings I adhere to. It made sense that the same precepts be followed in their lifting. I simply rendered unto Caesar, what was Caesar’s.”

Kai strokes Arthur’s cheek. “Little Brother, I would not have asked you to go against –”

“It was no great trial. There were certain ceremonies … some chanting – a small sacrifice ...”

“What did you offer?”

“Your old dice!”

Kai laughs. “I wondered where they’d gone! Good riddance to them.”

“Don’t get too confident!” Arthur narrows his eyes. “We can’t be sure my little visit to the Druid had anything to do with last night’s winning streak. Perhaps Fortune just decided to smile upon you for a change. Tomorrow, you might find you’re just as unlucky as before.”

But Kai takes Arthur’s hand. “I don’t care if I never win again at dice. No man alive has better luck than I.”

~~

**Author's Note:**

> First archived here: 31 December 2012.  
> Revised: 6 March 2016.
> 
> If you love the series, please join the [Arthur of the Britons Community](http://community.livejournal.com/arthur_britons/profile) at Livejournal.com


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